


People Keep Drowning Around Me

by LetTheMusicMoveYou



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, M/M, Mystery, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Secret Relationship, Security Guard, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2018-09-24 00:17:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9691067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetTheMusicMoveYou/pseuds/LetTheMusicMoveYou
Summary: “Alright then, let’s get right down to it. This assignment is a little different than your last.” Aaron is really hoping the little sigh of relief he let out wasn’t audible. Relief can be linked to weakness or fear, neither of which are regarded very highly in the world of security. If his boss hears the release of emotion he doesn’t acknowledge it. “Your assignment is Louis Tomlinson.”(Or the one where a veteran security guard is looking for an assignment that will give him a break. But he soon learns that guarding Louis Tomlinson and all of his secrets might be more than he bargained for.)Title from All About Me by Syd.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I wasn't really planning to write this, but then it popped into my head and just wouldn't leave so here you go! I just love sassy Louis so much I can't help it. :)
> 
> I think I might actually like to continue this so let me know if you would be at all interested in reading more!
> 
> Thanks for reading! x

Aaron takes a deep breath before sinking down into the the chair in front of him. It’s metal and uncomfortable as hell, but the most distressing thing about it is that it’s positioned directly across from his boss. The most ironic thing about all this is that he used to love these kinds of meetings. Used to jones for them even, like every new assignment was some kind of hit from his favorite kind of drug. That was back when security work was shiny and new. 

He can’t really complain though, he’s had a nice career. He’s gotten to meet and protect some of the most recognizable people in the world while earning a pretty decent cash flow. He’s been working in this business for a little over eight years now without so much as a hitch. That is up until about 10 months ago. He was assigned to an up and coming young actress and they hit it off immediately. _A little too well_. The whole thing was very cliche. Talented young girl falls in love with the man assigned to guard her life. It was the plot of a disgustingly sweet rom com, _until it wasn’t_. The aftermath crushed him like a goddamn train and there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it. It’s been two months now since that all went to shit. He’s been keeping his head low since then, filling in for other guys on the team when they needed time off from their duties. And it seemed like his boss had been content in letting him do that. 

But it looks like today is the day he’s been dreading for weeks now, the day when he gets his next assignment. Aaron runs his hand nervously through his short brunette hair as he waits for his captain to settle himself into the rather large leather chair behind his desk. Aaron’s been working with Captain Slater for nearly four years now. He’s pretty confident in his abilities to read his boss’s expressions. He know’s the captain forgave him for his colossal fuck up, but there’s a warning in his eye’s that tells Aaron that the next time wouldn’t turn out so well for him. 

Captain Slater leans back in his chair and smooths his hand over the greying mustache that matches the color of the few strands of hair he has left clinging to the top of his head. Just like Aaron and most of the other guys at the security firm, Captain Slater spent time in the military. Although, he was Navy and Aaron was Air-force they’ve still always gotten on well. Captain Slater has a no-nonsense attitude that Aaron appreciates, _most of the time_. He could actually go for a little bit of sugar coating right about now.

Aaron finches slightly as the captain fixes his steely gaze on him. “So Aaron, I know you’ve had a bit of a rough go these last few months but I think it’s time to get you back in the field.” Aaron would love to ask if he thinks he’s sure, but he know it wouldn’t get him anywhere. He wouldn’t be sitting here in this office if the captain wasn’t convinced that he was ready, so he doesn’t say anything he just nods his consent. Captain Slater pauses for a millisecond, seemingly gauging his reaction before he presses on. 

“Alright then, let’s get right down to it. This assignment is a little different than your last.” Aaron is really hoping the little sigh of relief he let out wasn’t audible. Relief can be linked to weakness or fear, neither of which are regarded very highly in world of security. If his boss hears the release of emotion he doesn’t acknowledge it. “Your assignment is Louis Tomlinson.” Aaron furrows his brow slightly, but still doesn’t say anything. The name sounds familiar, but he can’t seem to place it. The captain pulls out a file from the stack of manila folders balancing precariously atop his desk and begins reading him the synopsis. “Louis Tomlinson. Age 25, five feet eight inches, and approximately 150 pounds.” Aaron nods as he absorbs the information. Louis was somewhat on the small side which could possibly make his job harder. For some reason people tend to think it’s ok to manhandle the smaller ones. 

He focuses his attention back to the captain as he continues. “Pop vocalist who gained fame in the boy band One Direction. Currently pursuing solo projects while the band is on permanent hiatus.” Aaron raises his brows in recognition. He may not be very in-tune with pop culture, be even he’s heard of One Direction. _He doesn’t actually live under a rock_. The captain presses on. “He’s based in LA, but may require traveling to Europe for trips home or for short gigs in other parts of the world.” Aaron nods absently to that, he doesn’t mind traveling at all. _Not like he has anyone that’s going to be sitting at home waiting for him_.

The captain seems to be done reading as he slides the file across his desk and over to Aaron. He opens the file and begins to skim through it as Captain Slater continues his briefing. “He’s obviously no stranger to security as he’s been in the public eye for quite some time now, but he doesn’t normally have a full-time watch. Especially not at the moment when the band’s on a break.” 

Aaron looks up from the file, “why the change in security protocols?” 

Captain Slater leans back in his chair, “the label’s been getting a series of distressing messages from an anonymous poster regarding the band.” 

Aaron raises his eyebrows, “you mean they’ve been receiving threats?”

His boss shakes his head slightly, “not so much threats as statements and pictures. Facts and images that no outsider should be able to obtain. Especially not for all four band members. Obviously it has everyone at the label a little on edge.”

“But yet they still haven’t asked for anything or threatened any harm?”

The captain shakes his head. “The messages have been coming in for a couple of weeks now, but not even trained forensics specialists can seem to trace were they’re coming from. It’s suspected that the there is more than one culprit given that the members are rarely in the same place at the same time, often not even the same continent.”

Aaron has gone back to scanning the file and he’s about to ask another question when something catches his eye. “What a second. It says here that ‘Louis does not always welcome supervision.’ What the hell does that mean?” Captain Slater’s shoulders tense slightly and Aaron’s not sure if it’s from the question or from Aaron’s language.

“From what I understand Mr. Tomlinson prefers to be independent and at times a little rebellious.” Aaron looks up from the file and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“So let me get this straight, my job is to babysit a guy who explicitly hates being babysat? And you thought this assignment would be easier on me why?”

Aaron watches as the captain squares his shoulders, “I never said this assignment would be _easy_ soldier, I said it is going to be _different_. In fact, I think it’s going to be downright challenging. But I also think you’ve had enough time to mope around here feeling sorry for yourself. It’s time you get back out there and remind yourself that not only can you do this job son, but that you’re damn good at it.”

Aaron sighs. He really wishes he had the same kind of confidence in himself that his boss has in him, but that’s probably the point of this little pep talk he’s getting. He folds up the file and places it in the backpack at his feet before turning back to his boss. “You’re right sir, no task is impossible. Some are just more difficult than others. So when does this assignment start?”

Captain slater looks pleased with Aaron’s change in attitude. “It starts right now actually. I’ll be taking you to Mr. Tomlinson’s residence to facilitate the first meeting. You’ll be staying on his property until the threat can either be contained or ruled out. I’ll have any personal items you will need moved to his place this afternoon. His property has already been cased by our tactical team to pinpoint and secure all entry points.” Aaron nods, everything the captain has mentioned is standard procedure in situations such as these. 

Captain Slater stands and grabs his jacket off the back of his chair. “Time to get back on the horse son.” 

***

Aaron can’t help but let out a sigh as he looks up at the sprawling property in front of him. It’s big, and expensive by the looks of it. It practically screams _celebrity_ , which is never a positive from a security standpoint. It’s the kind of property that practically has ‘rob me’ written on the front of it. 

Captain slater walks around from the other side of the car to stand beside him. “Ready to meet your new assignment Aaron?”

Aaron nods from a lack of anything else to do or say. It’s either jump into this assignment and do his damned best, or find a new career and he’s frankly too lazy to do the latter. They make their way to the front door and wait after the captain rings the door bell. After sever minutes of waiting and another ring later the door finally opens. The man standing behind it is wearing jeans but very little else. His lack of shirt displays the tattoos splattered all over his chest and arms. He pushes a bit of his wispy brown hair out of his eyes, but the action does very little to actually calm the mess atop his head. Even in his disheveled state, Aaron recognizes the man in front of him from the pictures in the file that’s still in the backpack on his shoulder. _This is Louis Tomlinson_.

Louis looks at them for a few moments with a look of irritation before finally addressing them. “Can I help you gentlemen?” Aaron can’t help but catch the sarcastic tinge to his voice. He can already tell this is going to be a very long assignment. Aaron’s boss seems to be unfazed by the small bundle of attitude in front of him. 

“Yes, actually you can help us Mr. Tomlinson. I am Captain Stanley Slater of One Security LA. We are the security company your label hired to increase your safety. He gestures towards Aaron. This is Aaron Harper. He will be your full-time security guard and will be staying on your property. You aren’t to go anywhere without him until further notice.” Aaron can’t help but flinch slightly as Louis’ piercing blue eyes fix themselves, not too kindly, on him. Aaron knows that his label has definitely given him this information once already, but he still doesn’t look pleased to hear it. 

He purses his lips before reluctantly stepping aside so they can come in, “oh lovely. Please do come in and insert yourselves into my private life.” _There’s that sarcasm again_. Once they’re inside, Aaron quickly scans what he can see of the house and it doesn’t appear that anyone else is in the residence at the moment. According to his file, Louis is currently single. He does have a one year old son, but he lives with his mother. The file also said he has many siblings who often visit, but don’t live here full-time. Aaron can’t really blame Louis for being testy. In order for someone to offer high-level security they have to know every detail of their subject’s life: where they go, what they do, and who they do it with. It’s an effective method, but also highly invasive. 

They sit down in Louis’ living room so that Captain Slater can give him the details and logistics of his new security detail. Aaron’s pretty sure Louis isn’t hearing a word of it, but Captain slater pushes on anyway. Once he’s done and Louis looks throughly bored out of his skull, Captain Slater stands back up and Aaron walks him to the door. The captain pats him on the back. “Good luck son, _you’re going to need it_.” He mumbles the second part under his breath so that it’s barely audible, but Aaron still hears it. 

He nods. “Thank you sir.” His boss gives him one more sympathetic smile before disappearing out the door. Aaron sighs for what already feels like the hundredth time today before returning back to the living room. Louis’ already standing up from his seat. Aaron barely gets a word in before he starts leaving the room. “Wait, so what’s the plan for today?”

Louis stops but doesn’t bother turning around. “Planning to stay here. Will let you know if that changes. Make yourself at home. You’re my guest, apparently.”

Aaron is actually grateful that Louis didn’t have the decency to look at him as he answered because it means he can roll his eyes without guilt. He watches as Louis disappears up a set of stairs and then listens until he hears a door close not long after. He decides to use the rest of the day familiarizing himself with the layout of the house. He needs to know this place like the back of his hand if he’s going to keep it safe. Louis is clearly a pain in the ass, but it’s Aaron’s job to protect him so that’s what he’s going to do. _Even if it kills him_.

***

Aaron has just about finished transferring the most important information from Louis’ file into his phone when suddenly Louis is standing right in front of him. Aaron nearly jumps out of his seat and punches him in surprise. He takes a deep breath in an attempt to regain his composure. “Geez man, it’s not a good idea to sneak up on someone trained in mortal combat.” 

Louis doesn’t look the least bit concerned. “Well I would have hoped that someone tasked with guarding my life was a little more observant. But we can’t all get what we want can we?”

Aaron swallows down the smart ass comment he would like to say and instead plasters a friendly smile on his face. “What can I do for you Louis?” He clearly wants something otherwise he wouldn’t be talking to Aaron. In fact, he looks like he would die happy if he never had to speak to Aaron ever again. 

“I was wondering if you signed a non-disclosure agreement?”

The question is simple and to the point, but it catches Aaron off guard. He’s been doing this a long time, and he’s never not had to sign a non-disclosure before working with a celebrity. Everyone has secrets, or more likely dirty little habits. Usually drugs, sometimes sex, or in rare cases double lives. He thinks back to the agreement he signed earlier in Captain Slater’s office. It was quite lengthy and littered with legal jargon. Whatever this guy was hiding, he was serious about keeping it quiet. Aaron’s curiosity was officially peaked. “Yeah, of course I signed one. Your label hired my company to keep you safe, I’m not interested in airing your dirty laundry Louis.”

Louis mumbles something under his breath that sounds a little like, _yeah it’s my safety that always has my label so concerned_. But then he nods and Aaron notes that he might actually look slightly pleased. “Good, then let’s go.” 

“Wait, what?” Once again Aaron is talking to Louis' back as he grabs his backpack and follows him to the door.

Louis grabs his wallet off a table near his front door and shoves it in the back pocket of his jeans. Aaron notes that he’s now wearing a loose white v-neck shirt that still shows off the majority of his tattoos. He reaches for the door, “my driver’s out front and I don’t have all day.”

Louis might be on the small side, but he’s fast. Aaron is 6’2” but he still has to take long strides just to keep up with him. “I thought you said you would let me know if the plan changed?”

Louis barely glances over his shoulder. “Well it did, and I’m telling you.”

Aaron can’t help but roll his eyes again as he slides into the sleek black town car behind Louis. “Wow thank you, but maybe next time you could give me a little heads up?”

Louis’ scrolling through his phone. “I’m sorry I guess I’m just not used to having to run every aspect of my life by some kind of GI Joe that insists on acting like my shadow.” 

Aaron decides not to justify that comment with a reply. Louis leans forward to give the driver the address of his destination. The address doesn’t sound familiar to Aaron. He pulls out his phone to check the list of pre-approved security swept locations that Captain Slater had given him. As he suspected, the address isn’t on it. Aaron grabs Louis’ arm as the car starts moving. “Wait, that address isn’t on the pre-approved protocol list so it needs to be approved before we go.” 

Louis irritably yanks his arm out of Aaron’s grasp. “It’s safe.”

Aaron sighs, “that’s not really for you to decide Louis. From now on, every place you go needs to be swept for security ahead of time. I know it’s annoying, but it’s the protocol that could save your life.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “I know that. I sat through your boss’s boring ass safety lecture remember? I know this address is safe because your own fucking company is securing it. We’re going to Harry Styles’ house.”

Aaron sits back in his seat. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you would be spending time with any other members of the band.”

Louis give him a sideways glance. “Whatever.” They ride the rest of the way in silence and it isn’t until the car rolls to a stop that Louis speaks again. “Oh and by the way, we’ll be spending the night here.” 

Aaron is so shocked that he can’t even say anything before Louis starts exiting the car. Aaron has a feeling that Louis’ dirty little secrets are going to be a little different than any of the other clients that he’s ever worked with. 

He sighs before pushing the door open to follow Louis. _This boy might just be the death of him._

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! I wasn't sure if I was ever going to continue this, but I've just kind of been in the mood to write more of it lately. I started writing this in early 2017 when Louis was still single so the plot is going to continue on from there, but it's likely I'll be taking some liberties with the timeline though. And this is of course a fictional story. :)
> 
> I just really like the idea of a story about H and L told in the POV of a third person who knows nothing about them or 1D. Also, I'm a sucker for sassy Louis. Let me know if you are interested in reading more of this and if you have any ideas!
> 
> Thanks for reading! x

Aaron scrambles out of the car and follows Louis up the driveway as he hears the car drive off behind them. J _ust when he thought this day couldn’t get any weirder_. He finally catches up to Louis right before he has reached the front door. This house is even bigger and more expensive looking than Louis’. _Maybe Harry just has flashier style?_

Suddenly Aaron realizes that he doesn’t actually know anything about any of the other members on the band, and the only things he really knows about Louis are the basic facts given to him in the file his company produced. He really should have spent his free time earlier doing some serious Googling. _Rookie mistake_. But he’s not a rookie. Maybe if he’d done his research he wouldn’t have been so surprised by this little sleepover that Louis has sprung on him, although Louis doesn’t really strike him of the kind of guy that would ever be too forthcoming with his plans. 

Louis is about to raise his arm to knock on the front door, but Aaron grabs his wrist to stop him. “Wait, how are you staying the night? You didn’t even bring a bag?” He watches as Louis rolls his eyes, but he’s not really sure if he’s annoyed at the question or just Aaron’s existence in general.

“I think that’s my problem to worry about not yours, innit?” He jerks his head to gesture to the backpack slung over one of Aaron’s shoulders. “I’m assuming you have the necessities in there, _James Bond_?” Aaron nods tightly. They’ve only known each other for upwards of a few hours and already the snarky remarks are starting to grate on Aaron’s nerves. _This is going to be a very long assignment_.

He sighs as he shifts his backpack on his shoulders. “Yeah, I’ll be good for the night. Just a little heads up would have been appreciated.” Louis gives him possibly the most fake sweet smile he’s ever seen.

“Brilliant. I’ll be sure to keep that in mind for next time.” Now Aaron is the one rolling his eyes, because Louis’ sarcastic tone is implying the complete opposite to his words. This time he doesn’t stop Louis when he turns back to the door to knock. 

Aaron actually recognizes the guy who opens the door. His name is Chris, and he’s also a security specialist with Aaron’s company. He must be the one assigned to guard Harry. Aaron doesn’t really know him, has only spoken to him briefly a few times when their paths have crossed in the break room at the office, but he’s always seemed like a decent straightforward guy. At least maybe this way they can use their collective efforts to keep Louis and Harry safe. 

Louis barely acknowledges Chris’ existence before he pushes past him to enter the house. He seems completely unfazed by the fact that Chris is nearly double his size and could probably snap him in half with little effort if he really wanted to. Chris turns to Aaron and raises a brow in question, but Aaron just shrugs. He’s already learning that Louis isn’t very good at taking no for an answer. 

The two guards stay silent as they follow Louis through the foyer and into an expansive living space. There are plush rugs adorning the floor, impeccable furnishings, and a large grand fireplace brings the whole room together even though the warm temperatures in LA barely warrant the need for one.

There’s a man sitting on the black leather sofa that Aaron assumes must be Harry Styles. _He really should have Googled earlier_. He has dark curly hair that’s been pulled into a messy bun at the crown of his head. And he’s wearing jeans and a button up shirt with a print so intricate it nearly makes Aaron dizzy, but he’s not really sure what the point of the shirt is since it’s not buttoned up rather just flapping open uselessly. 

Harry smiles around the blunt in his mouth when he sees the three men enter the room. He blows a puff of smoke into the already hazy air as Louis sinks down next to him on the sofa and wordlessly takes the blunt out of his hand before pressing it to his own lips. 

Aaron shifts on his feet uneasily and glances at Chris. _So that’s why they’re here then?_ It’s also probably the reason for Louis’ questions about the non-disclosure agreement. Boybanders with a tween following caught smoking weed is probably not a headline their label would appreciate.

Louis takes a long hit before he places the blunt on the glass coffee table in front of them and then leans back further into the sofa. “Sorry, I’m late Haz.” He tilts his head to gesture towards Aaron, “had to drag along some dead weight.” Aaron has to fight very hard not to let another eye roll escape. He watches as Harry just smiles easily before rising and moving towards where Aaron and Chris are standing. 

“Lou, we’re being rude.” He extends his hand out to Aaron. “Hi, I’m Harry. Welcome to my home. And sorry you got stuck with Louis, really got the short straw on that one mate.” Aaron shakes Harry’s hand and can’t help but let out a small chuckle as Louis pouts on the sofa. He’s decided he likes Harry already. “Can I get you anything? A drink, a hit, whatever?” 

Aaron shakes his head at Harry's questions. “Thanks, but no. Kind of on duty here.” Harry slaps his hand to his forehead as if he completely forgot the whole point to Aaron and Chris being there in the first place. 

“Oh right, I’m an idiot.” He tilts his head towards Chris. “Christopher already turned me down too. I respect your commitment, but you’re really no fun.” He winks before moving back to the sofa to join Louis again. He calls out over his shoulder before sitting back down, “feel free to help yourselves to anything in the kitchen if you’re hungry.” 

Aaron turns towards Chris who just shrugs before moving out of the room. Aaron follows him into the kitchen and drops his backpack on the large marble island in the center. He smirks at Chris, “so Christopher how have you been?” Chris sighs but he’s smiling.

“I’ve already told him like twenty times to just call me Chris, nice guy though.” He smirks at Aaron. “And Louis seems like a real barrel of fun.” 

Aaron can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, honestly the real danger might be me strangling him. Nothing I can’t handle though. You think we should be worried about the weed thing?” 

Chris shrugs. “Not really sure. I was kind of surprised when he pulled it out, didn’t really seem like his style. Guess it’s pretty standard for most twenty-something millionaire musicians though. You know the drill?”

Aaron nods slowly. He does know the drill, he’s seen it countless times. Something about this whole thing has just seemed kind of off though. Louis and Harry together, _it feels like trouble_. 

Chris leans his forearms on the countertop and tilts his head. “You’re still concerned?”

Aaron considers that for a minute. “More like tentative. Maybe it’s just that this is my first assignment in the field for a few months. Feeling a little off my game honestly.” 

Chris nods. “Don’t worry about it man. I’ve got your back. You hungry?” Aaron shrugs.

“Not really, I could go for some water though.” Chris nods and grabs two bottles of water out of the large stainless steel fridge and slides one over to Aaron. “So what do you know about the band?”

Chris shakes his head. “Not much honestly, just that my sixteen year old niece screams at the mere mention of them.” Aaron laughs and nods.

“Yeah, me too. Guess we’re really going into this blind aren’t we?” 

Chris nods and raises his bottle towards Aaron. “Cheers to the great unknown?”

Aaron chuckles before clinking his bottle against Chris’. “Cheers to not murdering a moody pop star in my case.”

They finish their waters and decide to head back to the living room to check on Louis and Harry before doing a security sweep of the house, but Aaron is not even remotely prepared for the sight that greets them. 

Harry is laying with his back on the sofa, he’s still wearing his tight black jeans but his shirt has been completely discarded. The blunt is back in his mouth, but now Louis is sitting on his thighs and trailing kisses along the splattering of tattoos covering Harry’s chest. Harry removes the blunt and exhales the smoke from his mouth before lifting his head enough to look at Aaron and Chris. 

He smiles at them lazily, and Aaron notes that his eyes are nearly twice as hazy as they were when they first left the room. “Hey boys, wanna join?” Louis lifts his head and shifts his position on top of Harry so that he can look behind himself. He groans when he sees them, before turning back to Harry and reaching up to pinch one of his nipples.

“No way, you know I hate sharing.” Harry grins before moving his freehand to tangle in Louis’ hair. 

“Yeah, I know babe.” He pushes Louis up from the sofa and begins herding him towards the stairs. “Well I think we’ll being going to bed now. Christopher, could you make sure Aaron gets settled in one of the guest rooms?” Chris nods, but he looks just as dumbfounded as Aaron feels. They both just stand motionless and watch as Harry drags Louis up the stairs, who follows along pliantly. The pair disappears before the sound of a door closing in the distance soon after. 

Finally Aaron turns to Chris who is scrubbing his hand over his face. “Look, I know it’s kind of our jobs to predict things before they happen but I did _not_ expect that at all.”

Aaron nods stupidly. “Uh yeah, don’t feel bad. I knew I had a weird feeling about this whole visit from the minute that Louis said we were coming here, but this wasn’t really what I had in mind.” 

Chris nods before perching on the armrest of the sofa. “You realize this makes our mission like twenty times more complicated right?”

Aaron sighs before nodding. “Yeah. Exactly what I needed.”

_Maybe Louis’ sarcasm is contagious?_

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in this story. Always love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> Thanks for reading! x

Aaron glances at the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table next to him and sighs. It’s nearly 8am and he still hasn’t slept at all. He turns back to his laptop screen to continue working. _Not much point in sleeping now_. Although he’s been neglecting his body’s need for sleep, he has been doing some very productive internet research for his current assignment.

He’s spent more time on Wikipedia, YouTube, and Google in the last several hours than he probably has in his entire life combined. At least now he feels a little more informed about Louis and One Direction. He had known they were successful obviously, but the fan base they’ve amassed is quite impressive. They’re at the level of celebrity where their every single move is watched like a hawk by the media and fans alike. He literally just read an article about Harry shopping in London last week. That was the _entire_ article. 

Interestingly enough, in all his research he doesn’t find any evidence of Louis and Harry being anything beyond friends. In fact most of the stuff he’s read is saying that the pair have actually drifted apart in the last few years. _So what’s going on then?_ What he witnessed last night was literally the opposite of ‘drifting apart.’ So either this is a new development or they’re incredibly good at hiding their tracks. 

Aaron closes his laptop and pushes it to the other side of the bed before reaching up to rub his temples. _Maybe this zero sleep thing was not the smartest idea after all_. He grabs his toothbrush and toothpaste out of his bag and makes his way to the adjoining bathroom attached to the guest room he’s in. As hard as he tries to think about something else, his mind keeps drifting back to Louis and Harry. _What are they really? Maybe they’re a couple, or just friends who sleep together sometimes?_

Personally Aaron doesn’t really care either way. He’s never paid much attention to pop culture or celebrity gossip, _but this is different_. His job is to make sure he keeps Louis Tomlinson safe. The best way for him to do that is to know everything he can about Louis and his personal life. _No secrets_. But he’s not quite sure that Louis would agree. 

He sighs as he makes his way back to the bedroom and packs up his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. _Hopefully Harry has coffee in his kitchen_. When he makes it downstairs he finds that Chris is already one step ahead of him. The sweet smell of roasted coffee beans hits his nose the second he steps foot in the kitchen. He sees the other body guard sitting at the breakfast bar flipping through a newspaper with a steaming mug sat in front of him. 

Aaron smirks at him as he heads towards the cabinets to try to search for a mug of his own. “I didn’t know they even still printed those.”

Chris chuckles, “yeah I might be the New York Times’ last subscriber, or at the very least the youngest.” 

Aaron grins as his search finally gets results and he snags a black mug from the cabinet. “Anything good in there?”

Chris shrugs. “Pretty much the usual. The world is going to Hell and all that. You sleep well?” 

Now it’s Aaron’s turn to shrug as he takes a seat next to Chris with his full mug. “You can sleep when you’re dead, isn’t that the saying?” 

Chris rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. “Yeah, let me know how that works out for you.” 

Aaron’s about to retort when he hears someone else enter the kitchen. He turns to see none other than his new assignment. Louis’ wearing what appears to be the same jeans from yesterday, but the shirt is different. This one is black and advertises “The Who.” Aaron knows he didn’t bring a change of clothes with him. _So does he have clothes here? Do he and Harry share a closet, or at the very least a drawer? Or maybe he borrowed it from Harry?_

He’s also sporting a pair of dark sunglasses, likely to hide the redness still lingering from the weed last night. Aaron watches as Louis leans an elbow on the breakfast bar. “Morning boys.” He glances over to Aaron and gives him a critical once over. “No offense mate, but you look like shit. Are Harry’s guest beds that bad?” 

Aaron can’t help the eye roll that escapes him. “Not sure what part of that isn’t supposed to offend me, but thanks for the concern. Didn’t sleep much, but it wasn’t the bed. My mind was just on other things I guess.”

Louis hums in response. “Well Harry will be very relived to know he’s not a terrible hostess after all. You ready to go?” Aaron nods as he takes a final sip of his coffee. Louis turns back to Chris. “Harry is doing Yoga on the terrace, but you might want to keep your distance. I’m not saying it’s naked Yoga, but it’s damn close.” 

Chris just laughs easily. “Thanks for the heads up.” 

Aaron follows Louis outside and into the car that’s already waiting for them. They’re going back to Louis’ place, and since Louis seems to be in what could possibly be considered a good mood Aaron decides to push his luck with small talk. “Sorry, I didn’t even ask how you slept?” Louis gives him what he assumes is side eye, but it’s a little hard to tell behind the sunglasses.

“Slept quite well thanks. Much better than you I reckon.” 

Aaron nods. “Yeah, you probably did. Wouldn’t be too hard.” He’s really not sure how far he should push here, but he needs to try. “Look I’m not asking this to get all up in your business I swear, but are we going to be spending the night at Harry’s often? I’m not asking you to write me an itinerary or anything, but I’m just trying to be as prepared as I can so I can do my job..”

Louis holds up his hand to cut him off. “Relax, it’s fine. I can’t really answer that question though. It kind of depends on our schedules. We’re not in the same place that often.” Aaron can’t help but wonder if he only means physically in the same place or if he’s hinting to something more, but he doesn’t ask. 

Aaron nods. “Ok, I get it. Just let me know whenever you can, please?” 

Louis takes off his sunglasses off, and his eyes aren’t nearly as bloodshot as Aaron might have expected them to be. _But they are intense_. “You can’t tell anyone about last night… about me and Harry.” 

Aaron sighs. “Louis, I told you. I’m just here to do my job, not spread your secrets.”

Louis shakes his head firmly. “No you’re not listening to me. You can’t tell _anyone_.”

Aaron scrunches his forehead in confusion for a few seconds before it finally clicks. “You don’t want your label to know?” 

Louis sits back in his seat. “Exactly. It will just start a whole bunch of shit that I really don’t need right now, ok?” 

Aaron nods. “Look, I get it. I really do, but it’s my job to report everything I do and see back to my company, and since your label hired us we have to report it to them.” He watches Louis purse him lips in irritation, but he pushes on before he can say anything. “But there is a loophole.” 

Louis tilts his head to the side in question before his face breaks out in a grin. “A loophole? I just so happen to love those.” 

His smile is contagious and Aaron can’t help but return it. “I can tell my boss that I’m choosing to withhold information in order to protect your privacy as long as I am 100% confident that withholding it won’t affect your safety.” Louis is already nodding his head enthusiastically, but Aaron holds up a finger to halt him. “But… if at any point I feel that there is a serious reason for me to tell, I won’t hesitate to do it. I’m here to keep you safe, end of story.” 

Louis is shaking his head, but he’s still smiling. “Wow, you really are a buzzkill aren’t you? But yes, I agree to your terms. Thank you.” 

Aaron smiles back. “You’re welcome. But would your label finding out really be that bad?” 

Louis is staring at him with an intensity so strong it nearly makes him want to break eye contact. “Yeah, it would really be that bad.” With that he puts his sunglasses back on and the conversation is clearly over. 

Aaron leans back in his seat and watches out the window as LA rolls by. There’s clearly a lot more to this story that he doesn’t know. 

_And all the Googling in the world isn’t going to give him the answers_.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, here I am again with another sporadic update. To any of you still reading this, thank you for sticking around. :)
> 
> I don't entirely know where I'm going with this story. But I just love the idea of a story about the band told by someone who knows nothing about them, and I can't let it go. Also, I want to say again that I am taking a lot of liberties with the timeline and events. This is definitely a fictional story. :)
> 
> As always, I'd really love to hear your thoughts and if you have any suggestions for where you'd like it to go.
> 
> Thanks for reading! x

Aaron grabs at the neck of his t-shirt and pulls it up to wipe the sweat from his mouth and chin. He checks the display on his phone that’s strapped to his arm with a running wristband. It’s almost 7am which means he’s gotten a solid 45 minutes of running in already. Satisfied, he jogs the short few minutes back to Louis’ place where he finishes his workout with some pushups and planks in the backyard. 

He’s been on Louis’ detail for a little over two weeks now, and it’s been mostly uneventful. They’ve found a way to get along, or at the very least co-exist. Louis seemed to settle down when Aaron agreed to keep Louis’ personal life out of his reports back to his company and Louis’ label. 

They also haven’t been back to Harry’s place since that first night. In fact, Aaron hasn’t seen him since then either. He and Chris have been keeping in contact. He says Harry’s been busy with a film he’s going to be acting in, and music he’s working on. 

Louis’ been mostly quiet, which has Aaron a little worried honestly. He goes out a couple nights a week to have drinks and create general rowdy mischief with friends, but it’s never anything out of control. In fact, it’s all quite tame. Louis hasn’t seemed to live up to the _wild child_ persona that was given to him by the internet.

Actually, there are quite a few things Aaron’s learned about Louis that has shocked him. For example, once a week he goes to a local children’s hospital and meets patients who are terminally ill. There’s no press, or cameras, or publicity. It’s just Louis meeting with terribly sick children that are beyond excited to see him. And the way that the parents look at Louis, so filled with gratitude and appreciation it’s really quite overwhelming. 

Aaron tried to tell him how amazing it was, the first time he went with him to the hospital, but Louis refused to let him finish the sentence. Said he didn’t want to talk about it, so they spent the rest of the car ride home in silence. That’s another thing, for someone who is a ‘celebrity’ Louis doesn’t seem to like attention all that much. At least not at certain times.

Aaron is so lost in his thoughts as he enters the house through the back door of the kitchen that he doesn’t even notice at first that he’s not alone. 

“You know, I’m pretty sure you could still keep those abs even if you took just one day off.”

Aaron tries not to let the surprise show on his face as he casually makes his way over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. With his water in hand he turns back to the kitchen island in the middle of the room, where Louis is sat at a stool. His arms are wrapped around a mug of what Aaron assumes to be Yorkshire tea, _his favorite_ , and a laptop opened in front of him. It’s unusual for Louis to be up this early, but Aaron decides to go with it.

“I have to be in the best possible shape, don’t I? Need to be able to defend your honor at all times.”

Louis does his best to look annoyed, but he can’t help but hide the smirk that flashes across his face. Aaron’s started to get used to the sarcasm, _more or less_. And he’s learned Louis is easier to handle if he dishes it back once in a while. 

Louis clicks his tongue. “Fair point. If I have to endure you living here then it might as well be worth it.”

Aaron takes a gulp of his water and grins. “That’s the spirit! So, what’s on the agenda today?” 

Louis rolls his eyes at Aaron’s mock enthusiasm and then shrugs as he turns back to his laptop. “Don’t know really. I think I’ll be staying in mostly. Probably do some writing.”

Aaron raises his brow at that. He knows Louis has a small in-home recording area set-up. He saw it when he was first familiarizing himself with the layout of the house. But Louis hasn’t stepped foot in there since Aaron first arrived, at least not that he knows of. He knows better than to make a big deal of it, so he keeps his expression and tone neutral. “Ok, sounds good. Just let me know if you want to go anywhere, yeah?” 

Louis flicks his eyes briefly from the computer screen to Aaron and gives him a mock salute. “Sure thing Captain.” 

Aaron rolls his eyes and starts heading for the stairs so he can take a shower. But he turns his head to call out over his shoulder as he leaves the room, “if I were really the captain here I’d make you jump ship.” 

He smiles to himself as he hears Louis’ amused chuckle drift from the kitchen up the stairs. 

***

Aaron taps his fingertips rhythmically on the coffee table in front of him. He glances at the clock on the wall to see that it’s only been a couple of minutes since the last time he checked. Patience has never really been one of his virtues. Not only that, but he’s a generally nervous person. Always worrying about various scenarios or possibilities that may or may not actually happen. It’s a characteristic that has proven to be good for his profession, _not so much for his blood pressure_. 

Aaron sighs and looks up at the ceiling, as if he could suddenly have x-ray vision and the ability to see through to the room above him. Louis’ been in his studio since Aaron got out of the shower earlier, and he hasn’t surfaced for _hours_. 

At first Aaron had just chucked it up to the creative process and all that, but now that significantly more time has passed his imagination has started to get the better of him. _What if Louis’ hurt? What if he’s not in his studio at all and actually slipped out of the house while Aaron wasn’t looking? What if something’s terribly wrong and Aaron’s just sitting here like a dumb idiot?_

He shakes his head as if to physically expel the bad thoughts, and when that doesn’t work he decides to take action. He pushes himself off the sofa and makes his way up the stairs. He needs to check on Louis and make sure he’s ok, _his wrath be damned_. 

He pauses at the door to the studio. It’s the one at the end of the hall right across from Louis’ bedroom. He tries to listen for a moment, but he does’t hear any sounds of life from the other side further solidifying his decision to check. He raps the back of his knuckles on the door firmly. At first there’s no response, but then he hears a quiet “you can come in.” 

It takes Aaron’s eyes a moment to adjust once he steps into the room. The blinds are closed, so there’s little to no sunlight streaming in. The only real light in the room is from the small lamp on top of the white baby grand piano Louis’ currently sat at. Next to the lamp there’s also a half empty bottle of Vodka and an array of pieces of paper that have been crumpled up into balls and discarded not just all over the piano but all over the floor as well. 

Louis leans his elbow on the edge of the piano and rests his head on his hand. “You come to see the magic happening?” He looks more tired than Aaron’s ever seen him. And he’s obviously at least a little drunk, but there’s also something else there. Aaron just can’t seem to put his finger on it. 

There’s a lot less bite in Louis’ tone than usual, leaving Aaron in uncharted territory so he decides to play it cool and see where it goes. He shrugs nonchalantly. “Just came to see if you were ok actually, hadn’t heard from you in a few hours.” 

Louis’ not even looking at him anymore, instead he’s staring at what appears to Aaron to be a blank wall. “Well as you can see I’m just fucking fantastic.” 

Aaron can tell now something is very wrong, this isn’t the normal kind of snark he gets on a daily basis. This is the kind of demon that can fuel people to do very dangerous things. He knows those sorts of demons all too well thanks to his time in the Air force. He also knows not to push. He continues hovering awkwardly in the doorway, his hand still resting on the doorknob. “Well alright then, I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

Louis’ gaze snaps back to him then. “Wait, you can stay.” He looks surprised, as if he himself didn’t even know he was going to say it. “If you want.” 

Aaron gives him a gentle smile as him moves to sit on the cushioned bench pushed against the wall across from the piano. “How is writing going?” 

Louis shrugs and flicks one of the paper balls off the top of the piano and onto the floor. “The band’s not getting back together.” 

He looks back at Aaron as if he expects a response to that, but Aaron’s a little at a loss. _How did that statement at all answer Aaron’s question?_ He considers faking it briefly, but ultimately decides honesty is the best policy. He leans forward so his elbows are resting on his thighs. “I’ll be honest with you man, I don’t really know anything about your career and I’m also a little slow when it comes to the music industry so you’re going to have to explain it to me.” 

Louis just stares at him for a moment before suddenly bursting into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. It makes Aaron chuckle too until he notices that Louis’ starting to cross into hysterical territory. Eventually Louis is quiet and back to staring at the wall again. “I think I’m a little slow when it comes to the music industry too.” 

They sit like that in silence for several seconds before Louis finally turns back to look at Aaron. “When we went on hiatus we told the fans it wouldn’t be permanent, but we all knew it would be. I didn’t want to take an extended break because I knew how it would end, but Harry did. The others would have continued too, but they took the out when Harry gave it to them.” He stops to take a swig from the Vodka bottle. “Harry was always destined to do greater things.” 

Aaron watches him for a few seconds. He knows now what it is that he saw on Louis’ face earlier that he couldn’t describe. _Vulnerability_. “And what about you?”

Louis scrunches his forehead in confusion. “What about me?”

Aaron leans his head back so it’s resting on the wall. “What are you destined for?”

Louis just shrugs. “I’m better in a band than the spotlight. I’ve always known that really. Guess it’s just a bit more obvious now.” 

Aaron shakes his head. “I’ve heard the single you have out. With that one guy. Stan something?”

He watches as a smile plays across Louis’ face. “Steve Aoki.” 

Aaron nods. “Yeah! I heard it and it was good, really good.” 

Louis smiles as he looks down at the piano keys in front of him. “That one was really just for my mum. One last song before she..” 

His sentence trails off, but Aaron doesn’t push him to finish it. He can fill in the blanks. He decides to try shifting the conversation. “So you and Harry?”

Louis looks back up at him. “I was in the middle of still being mad at him the night you showed up.”

Aaron just arches his brow in question leaving Louis to sigh.

“I was lonely ok? And then you and your boss appeared on my doorstep telling me I was going to be babysat 24/7 because of this big ominous threat to my well-being and it all just got too overwhelming.” He grabs a paper ball and throws it at the wall he’s being staring at for a third of their conversation. “So I went running to him, like I always do. But I’ve come back to my senses now, so he’s shunned once again.” 

Aaron can’t help but smile at that. “How long is he shunned for?” 

Louis fixes his steady gaze on him again. “For as long as I bloody please.” 

Aaron just smiles in response and they fall into a somewhat comfortable silence. Aaron shifts slightly in his seat. “Do you want me to leave so you can keep writing?” 

Louis just shrugs casually. “You can stay if you want, I don’t mind the company.” 

Aaron tries his best to keep the surprise off his face and just nods. He scrolls through his phone while Louis scribbles things in his notebook and plays various chords on the piano. After a while Aaron takes to just watching him. It’s fascinating really, like he can practically see the thoughts whirring around in Louis’ head.

He’s almost startled when his phone vibrates in his lap. He picks it up to see a text from his boss.

_Captain: call HQ ASAP the stalker has made contact again._

Aaron looks up from his phone to see that Louis’ not paying any attention to him, still absorbed in his work. Aaron makes sure to keep his voice and expression neutral. “I’m going to make a phone call to the station, have to give my daily check-in.” 

Louis just nods, not even bothering to look up. Aaron slips into the hallway and pulls up the work contact on his phone. He tries not to feel guilty about leaving Louis in the dark as he puts the phone up to his ear.

_No need to worry him unless he has to._

 


End file.
